SVA President David Rhodes recently gave a keynote address at the University Council for Art Education (UCAE) symposium. The symposium, titled The Future of Arts Education In this Time of Economic and Political Turmoil, was organized by UCAE Co-presidents Gary Bates and Rose Viggiano, the latter of whom is chair of the MAT Art Education Department at SVA. The conference was held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday, September 25.

The goal of the symposium was to present an open dialogue on the role of visual arts in education. Topics included the U.S. Department of Education’s role in ensuring that the visual arts continue as a core academic subject, and the importance of certified art teachers. Other areas of concern, many of which Rhodes touched on in his keynote, included grants for art education, the repercussions of the No Child Left Behind legislation on art education, and the role of higher education in transforming the current status of art education in public schools. According to Viggiano, who introduced the SVA President’s speech, “David Rhodes reinforced his ongoing commitment to the invaluable role of art education in the contemporary world.”